Tydn's Fate: Sun and Moon: Chapter 3: RD

The black smoke grew and shrunk like a candle above Kotimbr’s hand. It waved weakly as his anxious breath slunk over it. His whole body trembled fervently, fearing the fate to come. His father’s cold face remained expressionless under the falling moon. The rising sun swallowed the sky as it climbed.

Four of the elders nodded to his father, approving his choice. Before he could move an inch, his mother jumped out of the small crowd. Tears streamed down her reddened face and wails sailed from her mouth. A moment she was screeching for his protection, but not anymore.
“Why?!” She cried out. “Why would you do this to us?!”

Kotimbr started as she spoke, becoming numb at her wrath. He replied strongly, “I didn’t choose to be like this! Besides, is it such a horrible crime that one must be killed for it?!”

One of the elders stepped up, “The black smoke is a sign of evil and sin. Anyone who carries it must be destroyed before they themselves can do any harm.”

“Is that why you killed Occultus?!” he demanded, rage building. “Because he was different?! I was taught that being different was a good thing!”

“Being different is good,” another elder replied. “But you are a crime against nature. The white smoke shows a servant of The Master; whereas the black smoke shows a servant of his enemies.”

“You never answered me,” his mother broke in, “why did you betray us?!”

Kotimbr stepped back, alarmed by her rage. “I didn’t do anything!”

“You coward, turning on us all!” she shrieked. “I should kill you now!” Her eyes were blood shot as she raved on about how he would kill them all in their sleep and that he needed to be put down.

He forced his smoke away and stared at his feet, shameful for a reason he did not understand. The verbal punishment went on for several moments before someone came and took her away. The elders turned to his father again, the area suddenly silent with apprehension.

“Why must I be killed?” he asked less confident than before. “Why can’t I just leave?”

A stone dropped inside him when they ignored his question. “Lucinus, his is your responsibility now. Rid the world of your mistake and you will be forgiven,’ the elder said to his father.

The large man nodded, facing his son. His eyes betrayed his many bustling emotions, as if he didn’t want to do this, but would anyway. Kotimbr protested again, begging anyone for help. They all look away when his gaze slides to them, as if guilt gnawed inside them. They ran into their homes, worried about what was to come.

The elders quickly disappeared into their home, clearly not bothered by what was happening. He looked into windows, praying someone would help him. He knew all too well he could not defeat his father in combat. They simply vanished behind curtains.

He spotted his uncle at his forge. The man looked defeated and unwilling to do anything. It hit Kotimbr how similar he and his father appeared. They both shared the same blonde hair and blue eyes, which was common in the village. The men were towers when compared to most people, and both had broad shoulders, making them look even larger. Kotimbr’s black hair and gray eyes forced him to stand out in the town. He had height like his father, but was skinny. He could sense the fear on him. His uncle; however, had a saddened and resentful look on his face. He turned away and wandered into his own home, unable to watch the scene.

Now realizing the danger that he faced, he backed away from the giant man. His heart rate increased more and more, making him feel sick with terror. He could feel the sweat in his palms and head. Adrenaline rushed through his body, urging him to flee, but he was glued to the spot. Why did this have to happen? He thought wretchedly.

His father charged with speed Kotimbr had never seen before. Panicked, he rolled aside, letting instinct take over. He felt something sharp barely catch his arm. He was forced to stop before he hit his wooden house. He spun around and saw his father standing twenty feet away.

Trembling, he pushed himself up and braced himself for another charge. Dirt and mud was plastered all over him and his shoulder was bleeding again, causing a throbbing sting in that area. He spat out blood, realizing he bit his tongue when he evaded the strike.

His father held out a hand. Confused, but curious, Kotimbr stared at him warily. In his palm, a sword appeared out of thin air. It was twice the length of the one the battle master had been using. It glowed and waved like a light, with tendrils of white smoke hovering around it. The hilt was gold with ivory designs dancing around it. Kotimbr’s eyes widened in shock.

He dashed forward again, with the same alarming speed. Kotimbr dodged, leaping into the air and clung to the low roof of their home. He pulled himself onto it second before the blade hamstringed his leg.

Standing up, he was suddenly awed from being higher than everything else. The other houses appeared small, and he had a clear view of the orange sunrise. The trees of the forest stilled towered over him, making him feel insignificant.
He knew his father wouldn’t be able to climb up without collapsing the building, but it was only a matter of time before he destroyed it beneath Kotimbr.

He ran across to the far side of the structure, his feet thudding on the sheet of wood. When he reached the edge, he jumped off and ran between two other buildings into a small ally. He positioned himself near the edge of the lane, where he could see the center of the village. He poked his head out, searching for his father.

Seeing nothing, he took a shuddering breath and tried to calm down. There were no sounds, making the place seem like a ghost town. He shuddered at the thought of dying there with his family against him for an idiotic reason. Sitting down, he rested his uninjured side against the house and closed his eyes. For a moment, he could swear he heard a voice, but figured it was someone in one of the weak buildings.

He glanced at his left shoulder, examining the wound and keeping an eye open for any attackers from the middle of town. The blood was seeping through his shirt, worrying him. He had no knowledge of how to heal and doubted he could receive much help if he survived. He cocked his head as he heard a footstep.

He surged out of the ally as the weapon swung down behind him. Searing pain raced down his back as the holy blade bit into his flesh, forcing his to cry out. He stumbled forward, blindly struggling to escape. His vision blurred as the pain reverberated throughout his entire body.

He fell face first into the dirt, barely conscious. He could sense his blood seeping from the wounds, slowly killing him. His tongue was covered in mud and gore. He became light headed and felt chilled as he grew paler.

He whimpered as the collar of his shirt was grabbed, pulling him up. He opened his eyes slightly as he was put on his feet and was held up by his injured shoulder. The blade of light sat at his throat, waiting to drink his life force. Too weak and in shock to protest, he closed his eyes and waited.

For a second, he thought he heard the voice again He shuddered at the sound of it. It sounded familiar to him. It whispered gently in his mind, No.

His eyes shot open as a flood of energy entered him. His father stumbled back, dropping Kotimbr. He felt himself jump away, but he was not the one who caused it. He had a sudden sensation that he was watching someone else’s battle from his own mind, like he no longer controlled his own body.

Using his voice, the entity inside him spoke, “You dare deem yourself worthy of destroying my possessions. You’re all an assortment of cowards claiming to do good for the world. Die!”

His father refused to respond and charged. His eyes were narrowed and a grin spread across his face. He aimed a killing blow and swung.
Before the blade was even close, Kotimbr’s possessor drove him to raise a hand and shoot a ball of dark energy into his father. As much as he resisted, it happened too quickly for him to control. It collided into his father, carrying him to the wall of one of the houses. Screams of alarm went up and stopped just as fast when they saw what happened.

Kotimbr felt his agony return as the spirit left him. He stood there in astonishment for a moment until he was forced to collapse. His wounds only grew more aggravated when he tried to move up.

Once he had relaxed down enough, he struggled to his feet. His breath was ragged, and his mind threatened to pass out. His legs wobbled beneath him, causing tremors into his being. Weakly and slowly, he worked his way over to his father. Dirt billowed behind him as he tumbled and stood back up.

He dropped to his knees at his father’s body. His eyes widened as he saw a huge bloodied hole in the man’s chest. His body shook violently at the sight, and he fought not to be sick. Almost fainting, he backed away. He forced his legs to carry him into the woods, where he might be safe for a while longer.